Reset to the 19th Century

Secretary of State Kerry feels President Putin’s “19th century” behavior is not up to G-8 elite standards.

This isn’t Putin’s first rodeo when it comes to dropping in uninvited on his neighbors. He invaded Georgia on President Bush’s watch in August 2008. Like the current Crimea crises, Bush didn’t do much to stop it.

Reset

Michael Gerson in the Washington Post thinks the reset may have contributed to Putins feelings of grandeur:

President Obama’s “reset” with Russia was designed to end the economic, political and military isolation of Putin’s Russia after the invasion of Georgia in 2008. The Kremlin did not keep the terms of the cease-fire ending that conflict. But Obama was determined to unfreeze the post-Georgia relationship, particularly since cooperation was needed on issues of mutual concern such as Iran and Syria.